I Heart Gilmore Girls

So, this is the last post of NaBloPoMo [insert one lonely tear traveling down my cheek]. Congratulations, everyone! We made it! Thanks for sticking with me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. You all are the best readers ever.

Now, when I created the now-famous blog topic calendar for the month of November, my first topic on the list was for tonight…a subject near and dear to my heart. That’s right. I’m talking about Gilmore Girls.

If you don’t know what Gilmore Girls is and we’re still friends…well…I can’t imagine that both of those things could be true at the same time.

When I was first introduced to Lorelei and Rory, I was fresh out of college and finding my way. That time in my life had a lot of firsts. First time to boil silverware bought at a garage sale. First time realizing that you’ve gone your whole life taking the fact that you live in a furnished home for granted. First time a roommate decides that a lease doesn’t mean she needs to live there until the end of it. First time that a different roommate moves her foreign-speaking mother into her room, fixes all their meals in said room, and rips you off two months rent and several months of utility payments. First time to discover Justin Timberlake as a solo artist (ah, Senorita…it seems like just yesterday). You know. The normal. 🙂

The Gilmore girls offered me a little respite from learning how to adult in my new, crazy life. They beckoned me into the charming world of Stars Hollow where Kirk held every job in town and reading was cool and hanging out with your mom was even cooler.

I’ve now watched those seasons more times than I can count (I’m serious. I could go toe-to-toe with anyone in a heated trivia battle of the minds.) and I have thoughts. I know for a fact that people vehemently oppose some of these thoughts because I’m a part of a closed Facebook group wholly dedicated to All Things Gilmore.* Nevertheless, this is my chance to make my voice known as the expert that I am on these matters. Especially because it was recently announced that Netflix will partner with the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, to produce four 90-minute mini-movies that show us where Lorelei and Rory are today. Huzzah!

And here we go. [If you’ve never watched the show and you’d like to avoid spoilers, you should probably avert your eyes right about now.)

Lorelei belongs with Christopher.  Throughout the show, Lorelei had many suitors. Max Medina (Scott Cohen). Alex Lesman (Billy Burke). Jason Stiles. Luke Danes (Scott Patterson). A reluctant Beau Bellville (Nick Offerman). But none really compare to her high school love and Rory’s biological father, Christopher.

I know that Christopher was flawed. He was fairly absent parent during Rory’s growing up and had a series of failed businesses/careers. There’s no doubt about it, he left the heavy lifting of Rory’s childhood to Lorelai and that’s not a great attribute in a person. But I can’t find it in myself to dislike him because, well, Lorelai doesn’t. At one point when he’s moved on to a relationship that’s serious, Lorelai tells him “You’ve always been a wonderful possibility for me.” And if Lorelai, the one that has been the wronged one in this whole situation, can hold him in the back of her mind for so long, who am I to hold a grudge?

Christopher gets her. He knows the good and the bad. He can keep up with her pace and wit and dish it back. He views her as an equal. He loves her deeply.  And he always sees his future with her. There’s chemistry with these two. In contrast, other than the kiss at the end of season 4/beginning of season 5 that started the Lukalei relationship, there’s very little on-screen chemistry with Luke and Lorelai of them. Luke is always the curmudgeon holding her back. Not that I hate Luke! I do not. His selfless gestures were enough to win me over initially. But over multiple viewings, I definitely stand with my current opinion.

Also, the way that the Christopher and Lorelai relationship happens in the last seasons is complete crap. Amy Sherman-Palladino would have never written that if she were still at the helm of the show then.

Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) is the best character on the show. She is just the most relatable best friend that a girl could have. She’s loyal, she tells the truth, she’s loveably accident prone, and she’s a chef. What more could you ask for? I heart her so much that I just can’t stand most of the characters Melissa plays now. Sookie is my hero. SOOKIE FOR PRESIDENT! Actually, that might be a bad idea…

Logan is the best choice for Rory. Unlike Rory’s previous two long-term boyfriends who started out great and rapidly devolved into weirdness, Logan (Matt Czuchry) started as out as a playa’ but grew leaps and bounds while they were together. Not only was he sophisticated and well-read, but he also pushed her to try new things, take on new adventures, and championed her goals and aspirations. He had baggage and made some poor choices, let’s keep it real, but he really came into his own at the end there. Plus, the whole thing was kind of a Cinderella story. Bad boy meets good girl. Good girl is worth him changing his ways.

If we had never had Logan, we would have never met Colin and Finn. And that is a sad thought indeed.

I’ve had a lot of discussions with my friend and fellow Gilmore Girls fan, Jessica, who is strictly in the #TeamJess camp and I do think that I’d be okay if they bring Jess 2.0 (aka Philadelphia Jess) back in the upcoming episodes as an option for Rory.

There is no Mr. Kim. I mean, I know there was at one time or Rory’s best friend Lane would not exist. They reference him in passing all the way into season 2 but then abruptly never mention him again, not even to explain where the heck he went…? That’s just irritating.

Let’s talk Hep Alien. First, the loss of Dave Rygalski (Adam Brody) to college was the saddest thing ever. He was perfect for Lane in every way and his attempt to be accepted by Mrs. Kim by reading the Bible cover to cover in one night was literally the most adorable thing ever. But when Dave left (aka Adam joined the cast of The O.C.), Lane’s love interest eventually fell on the dim-witted and completely irritating Zack Van Gerbig and that was WAY below Lane. She deserved better.

If I could watch a spin-off show about Michel Gerard, I totally would. Snark, party of one! And bring in a little Tobin for some conflict? Sold!

I’m sure there’s more.** But I think I’ve let a little too much of my crazy peek out tonight as it is. So I shall bid you good night and good luck!

Because tomorrow is December.

XOXO,

Amy

*I know I sound like a complete lunatic, but I promise that I’m not. Think of it as Comic-Con for reading geeks, okay?

**Like the fact that the April Nardini twist was the worst thing EVER EVER.